17:11 And all the community2 of the Israelites traveled on their journey3 from the Desert of Sin according to the instruction of the Lord, and they pitched camp in Rephidim.4 Now5 there was no water for the people to drink.6 17:2 So the people strove7 with Moses, and they said, “Give us water to drink.”8 Moses said to them, “Why do you strive9 with me? Why do you test10 the Lord?” 17:3 But the people thirsted11 there for water, and they murmured against Moses and said, “Why in the world12 did you bring us up out of Egypt—to kill us and our sons and our cattle with thirst?”13
17:4 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What will I do with14 this people?—a little more15 and they will stone me!”16 17:5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go over before the people;17 take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand your rod with which you struck the Nile and go. 17:6 I will be standing18 before you there on19 the rock in Horeb, and you will strike20 the rock, and water will come out of it so that the people may drink.”21 And Moses did so in plain view22 of the elders of Israel.
17:7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the striving of the Israelites, and because of their testing the Lord,23 saying, “Is the Lord in our midst or not?”
Victory over the Amalekites
17:824 Amalek came25 and attacked26 Israel in Rephidim. 17:9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our27 men and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.”
17:10 So Joshua fought against Amalek just as Moses had instructed him;28and Moses and Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 17:11 And whenever Moses would raise his hands,29 then Israel prevailed; but whenever he would rest30 his hands, then Amalek prevailed. 17:12 When31 the hands of Moses became heavy,32 they took a stone and put it under him, and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side and one on the other,33 and so his hands were steady34 until the sun went down. 17:13 So Joshua destroyed35 Amalek and his army36 with the edge37 of the sword.
17:14 And the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in the38 book, and rehearse39 it in Joshua’s hearing;40 for I will surely wipe out41 the remembrance42 of Amalek from under the heavens. 17:15 And Moses built an altar; and he called it “The Lord is my Banner,”43 17:16 for he said, “For a hand was lifted up to the throne of the Lord44—that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”45
The Advice of Jethro